Lakes International Comic Art Festival: A huge success!

A massive celebration of comic art in all its forms, the festival took over the town of Kendal on the weekend of 14th-16th October, and OCD Action was its official charity.

One of the highlights of the event was the 24 Hour Comic Marathon. Twelve big-name comic artists* were each given two hours to draw two pages of a comic, and the comic then went on sale at the event. But that’s not all! Written by the talented minds of Alex Paknadel and Dan Watters, the comic, Coelifer Atlas, told a story about somebody with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. And all the proceeds from sales went to this charity, raising a stunning £375!

Wish you’d managed to snag a copy? It’s not too late! The brilliant retailer Page 45 is now selling Coelifer Atlas on their website, and the proceeds from it will still go to OCD Action. It’s well worth checking out, as it tells a really powerful story of a person struggling with OCD, and has art from people including The Walking Dead artist Charlie Adlard and Blankets creator Craig Thompson.

OCD Action also received a percentage of original artwork sold (raising £160) and other merchandise from the festival (raising £480).

We also had a nice surprise when the amazing Dr. Ian Williams (of Graphic Medicine and The Guardian’s Sick Notes) decided to donate a percentage of every copy of his graphic novel, The Bad Doctor, to OCD Action. So a huge thank you to Ian and all of the people at publisher Myriad Editions!

We had a presence at the festival ourselves, popping up to Kendal to host a stand where we informed people about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and the services our charity runs. With help from the brilliant Finlay and Andrew Miles, we held this stand throughout the entire weekend. It was a really exciting, fun event with an incredible atmosphere, and we were made to feel very welcome. It was an amazing opportunity to spread knowledge about this misunderstood disorder to thousands of comic fans.

OCD Action's Vision

OCD Action works for a society where OCD is better understood and diagnosed quickly, where appropriate treatment options are open and accessible, where support and information is readily available and where nobody feels ashamed to ask for help.

We are here because OCD tears families apart and leaves people isolated and exhausted. OCD ruins lives. It is a sad fact that many people with OCD delay seeking help. They put up with it for too long, perhaps thinking that nothing can be done or just not knowing where to turn. OCD Action believes in taking action. We want people affected by OCD to seek help, to understand their treatment options and find the support and motivation they need to fight back. OCD is treatable, it can get better.